MINNESOTA BEAT HILLTOPPERS BY 22 POINTS. GOPHERS SLAM WESTERN KENTUCKY PAGE 5 ONTHETUESDAY,
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RESEARCH
New data system will ease work
U OF M
MINNEAPOLIS
ST PAUL
WEDNESDAY
NOVEMBER 19, 2014
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM
ENVIRONMENT
No tilling, better soil
The U is changing how its data is stored so people can access and share research more easily. BY TAYLOR NACHTIGAL tnachtigal@mndaily.com
New University of Minnesota initiatives will soon allow researchers to better catalogue and share their work. Through changing how data is stored and the way researchers record their findings, the school hopes to preser ve its research and create a better system for accessing and sharing it across the University and other higher education institutions. To establish a standard for how the school deals with research data, the University Senate Committee on Information Technologies developed a new policy that clarifies researchers’ responsibilities for recording data, who owns it and how it is stored and transferred. “It’s a policy that was long overdue,” said Jim MacDonald, chair of the committee. Though the policy is still getting reviewed, leaders of the initiative say it will likely be implemented early spring semester.
JULIET FARMER, DAILY
Dean Dostal, owner of Dostal Farms, stands with his radish crops on Saturday. Dostal practices no-till farming, which increases yields and retains the soil’s nutrients.
By not tilling their land, farmers can reduce their carbon footprint and preserve essential soil nutrients, experts say.
u See UPGRADE Page 10
experts say, and ultimately could help slow
BY MOLLY MICHALETZ mmichaletz@mndaily.com
STUDENT GOVERMENT
MSA seeks to increase reliability
A
down climate change.
t the end of each har vest season,
“[A no-till practice] prevents erosion of
farmer Dean Dostal of Hutchinson,
the soil and leaves beneficial nutrients for
Minn., carefully tends to his corn and soybean crops, preparing for the next year’s planting season.
The organization created a committee to review how its paid members are performing.
next year’s crop,” Dostal said. A University of Minnesota study released earlier this month found that plants
It’s a familiar routine for most farmers.
have the ability to soak in more carbon
But unlike many, Dostal won’t till to prep
from the air when they’re provided with
his fields for next season.
sufficient nutrients and water. By not tilling,
By not tilling, farmers can increase their
which breaks down and compacts the soil,
crop yields and reduce fossil fuel use while
farmers avoid the deterioration of vital nu-
preser ving the soil’s essential nutrients,
trients, and in turn, vegetation will soak in
BY HALEY HANSEN hhansen@mndaily.com
u See CO2 Page 3
With a crowd of students watching, Minnesota Student Association leaders outlined which members would not receive their full stipends earlier this month. A handful of people failed to meet all of the requirements attached to their MSA positions, which cost them anywhere from just 1 percent to almost one-third of their monthly payment. In order to increase transparency and reliability within the undergraduate student government, the group created a system of checks and balances to ensure all members are fulfilling their duties and spending office hours responsibly. MSA’s new Internal Management Committee reviews stipendreceiving members’ performances several times a year. This school year, MSA could dole out more than $37,000 to almost 30 members, some of whom receive stipends of nearly $5,000 each year. The money from the stipend cuts go u See IMC Page 10
AGRICULTURE
As chill sets in, MN farmers are already prepared Most of the state’s farms had their crops harvested before last week’s large snowfall. BY HALEY MADDEROM hmadderom@mndaily.com
Tuesday was the nation’s coldest November morning on record in almost four decades, with all 50 states hitting low temperatures at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. But after riding out last year’s polar vor tex, many Minnesota farmers took precautionar y measures for the recent frigid weather, and University of Minnesota research is exploring how to protect their
HEALTH
fields during the cold months. In fact, most of the state’s farmers had completely har vested their crops by last week’s snowfall, said Jodi DeJong-Hughes, a Willmar, Minn.-based University Extension regional educator in crops and soils. “They heard it was coming, so they put in a lot of extra hours to put the crop out,” she said, adding that other farmers missed a crucial chance to harvest. By Sunday, 95 percent of Minnesota’s corn acreage was harvested, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Those who did not gather their crop yield before snowfall will have to wait for snow drifts to melt — and for the ground to stay solid enough so that a 20-ton combine can traverse fields without sinking too
deeply into the soil, DeJong-Hughes said. Ideal crop yields depend on the perfect balance of moisture during winter and spring, she said. Though heaps of snow can add moisture to the soil, when it’s combined with constant spring downpours, it can lead to erosion and restrict the planting season. “That’s the problem with the weather — you just never know,” DeJong-Hughes said. “There’s a saying: ‘Tell me the weather and I’ll tell you how to farm.’” Some University students in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences have had to head home for several weekends this fall to help their family farms u See SNOW Page 3
Mpls. could soon ban e-cigs A city committee on Monday approved a divisive ordinance to ban electronic cigarettes. BY KELSEY CHRISTENSEN kchristensen@mndaily.com
ELIZABETH BRUMLEY, DAILY
Nate Stevensen and Alysia Urbina test different electronic cigarette flavors at Smokeless Smoking Vapor Shop on Tuesday evening. On Monday, a City Council committee approved a proposed e-cigarette ban in indoor public spaces.
Minneapolis is inching closer to banning electronic cigarettes from indoor public spaces and workplaces. Dozens of the city’s residents, business owners and medical professions gathered Monday to defend and protest e-cigarettes in a public hearing for the Minneapolis Clean Indoor Air Act Ordinance Amendment. At the end of the hearing, the city’s Health, Environment and Community Engagement Committee voted to ban e-cigarettes and similar devices in indoor public spaces, mostly restaurants and bars. The full City Council will vote on the proposed ban at its upcoming Dec. 5 meeting. Many “vape” shop owners spoke at the
hearing about their business’s need to provide samples to customers buying new flavors. “It would be a detriment to consumers because they don’t know what kind of product they’re getting,” said Austin Flum-Straw, manager of Smokeless Smoking Vapor Lounge on East Hennepin Avenue. Other “vape” shop owners at the meeting voiced skepticism that their stores could be exempt from the proposed boycott. But during concluding remarks on Monday, council members said they would change the ordinance’s language to exclude them. Ward 2 Councilman Cam Gordon, who chairs the committee, said the proposed ban is not meant to stop e-cigarette use in nicotine shops. Several e-cigarette users testified at the hearing that they shouldn’t have to “vape” in the same area as regular smokers, since u See VAPING Page 3
VOLUME 116 ISSUE 46